Solving For Chemical X
by MadMaskJK
Summary: (AU) Anne survived Danny on the other hand did not. As a 10 year-old girl Taylor "triggered." Now she must try and develop her lab while her mother tries to get her funding. In the meantime Anne is trying to maintain Taylor's independance from the PRT's regulations. Her designs and ideas could save the world but will they let her?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Anything you see may be the property of Hasbro Wildbow and Cartoon Network. No profits were made. Please support the original shows and their authors/writers.**

 **Special Thanks to the three Beta writers who helped me with Errors Thanks you guys!**

 **Prologue**

Faust watched the vast starry sky with a pleased grin on her face. Once again her younger daughter had filled the night sky with a new masterpiece. Luna's latest constellation was one of her lover; drawing him in the night sky helped Luna to heal and gain closure. They had enjoyed their mother's company, the months that passed had helped them reconnect. In the end, however, Faust couldn't stay with them forever. It was for their own good; Luna and Celestia would never reach her level if she kept coddling them.

In days close to her departure, neither of them was pleased about her leaving, but they respected her decision and all of them parted on good terms.

"I love those two so much, but honestly they can be a bit too clingy." Faust sighed as her horn glowed with golden power and the veil of reality parted before her. Stepping forward, she exited her home, her Island, and entered the vast Metaverse.

Faust was one of many patrons, or as mortals across the Metaverse called them, Creators. She moved at blinding speeds until she passed the known part of the Metaverse. As a younger filly, Faust used to explore the ever expanding Metaverse searching every star and atom, studying the composition and formation of each multi-verse she came across. Some, like hers, were created by a deity, while others formed naturally...without a watching patron.

Faust has met many 'creators' like herself and, although some were benevolent and kind, others were arrogant, sadistic children.

Faust remembered punching some brute of a creator called Azerboth in the eye. "Idiot," she muttered under her breath.

Sadly it seemed that the Metaverse had just as many cruel creators as benevolent ones. She finally stopped exploring when she had noticed something unusual...it was a singular multi-verse.

Faust expanded her senses and noticed there was something very wrong with it; the multiverse was dying. She came closer to examine it and found it was infested with parasites that seemed to eat away at its very existence. Immediately, she tried to remove them one by one until she had to speed up.

"The rate of decomposition is increasing not decreasing!" It took a few moments before Faust realized why removing them wasn't working, "The fabric of this world's reality is already falling apart!"

"In removing these parasites I am expressing my power and at the moment this multi-verse simply cannot take that level of manipulation," Faust knew then that she had no choice.

She pooled her power and used it to restore life to the multi-verse. Once that was done she started to slowly to close off parts of the infested multi-verse from the now healthy multi-verse.

She looked at it again, "This multi-verse, as it is now, will survive and eventually recover."

"Once these parasites have exhausted those universes, they will die." Faust was exhausted from the effort and, she stepped back, "It is unfortunate, but compared to the rest of the multiverse ... I know I did what I could but still ... I need to get back to Equestria and the other worlds. My own multi-verse must be safe guarded from these... parasites."

She turned her back upon the multi-verse before guilt finally began to build up, "I have done what I can...any further interference could harm the multi-verse as it is now."

A thought occurred to her as she turned once again to look at the infested worlds, "I may not be able to eliminate any more of those things but I can at least give one of those worlds a fighting chance."

Faust searched the timelines and dimensions until she found the bleakest world imaginable, and focused again. She searched for someone with the potential to change the world. It had taken a few minutes before Faust finally found her. It was a girl who has had just lost her father.

Next Faust searched for one of the parasites, "I found it, or rather, a piece of it."

"It's interesting the way these things feasted upon their own home," Faust's magic encompassed Queen Administrator as she peered into it's function and capabilities.

After a while she had began to piece together a plan, "These parasites empower humans so that they can consume and learn from their hosts. However, most of any useful information that could harm them or abilities that could threaten them, are limited or shackled."

She began to reset the shard to it's previous capabilties before wiping it clean of all functions and information, "Let's see them deal with an unknown."

She began to write new functions for the shard as a harsh smirk appeared on Faust's face," Let's see them deal with an X variable."

 _ **Repurposed Queen Administrator Shard's Functions-**_

Function One: Locate Taylor Herbert, Age 9

Function Two : Once host is in sight begin bonding procedures and wait until host reaches age 10 to modify neural physiology.

Function Three: Upload Information from PPG universe 649#0: Professor Utoninun into Taylor Herbert's mind.

Function Four : After host has received all information and modifications are stable, Queen Administrator is to detach from host and self destruct.

Faust just hoped that it would be enough to allow this world to survive. The other infested worlds had a much higher survival probability.

* * *

 **Solving for Chemical X  
**

 **Origin**

 **1.1**

New-York City

Hospital

It was the year 2003, at the moment Taylor was at the hospital, being examined. And once again, she had to open her eyes for the doctor, checking for any lasting damage by shining a flashlight in her eyes when she asked "He's gone isn't he?"

The doctor looked startled before finally nodding.

"I apologize, Taylor, but by the time anyone could get to your father, he was ..."

Taylor's eyes were already watery, but that memory quickly made her face wet with tears. "I know; I saw him trapped in that bus... He's dead isn't he?!"

"Taylor?"A woman covered in bandages entered the room .

"Mom!" Taylor exclaimed as she rushed to her mother's arms and embraced her

Neither of them said a word. They only shared in the absolute joy that they would not be going home alone that night. Still, despite their joy at finding one another alive, the walk to the house was somber. Neither of one of them talked about it, but both mother and daughter were hurting from the death of Danny Hebert.

A few weeks later, they had moved back into Brockton Bay, The the city had gone to hell in the last few years, but apparently, her mother was being offered a lot of money to teach at the university, something about a para-human wiping out the local college.

The world had changed drastically over the years since Taylor was born.

Three years ago, when Eidolon had died, the Endbringers had gone mad, they started leveling city after city.

People began to panic, rumors began that the government had started talking about moving to Earth Alpha. Money was changing hands and plans were being drawn up, and then the Endbringers just disappeared. People were wondering just what the hell had happened, until The Tinkerers figured it out.

Members of the Toybox had finally found them in the Sahara Desert. Behemoth, Leviathan, and Simurgh, they were all just standing there not moving a muscle. After weeks of observation and intense scanning, the PRT's Tinkerers had determined that the Endbringers had somehow gone completely dormant. Soon, and with serious consideration, the Protectorate had begun to plan how and where to send the Endbringers.

Months had passed by, and some of people were of the thought that, by moving the Endbringers, it would awaken them. Thankfully those thoughts were proven wrong, and the plan went perfectly. Behemoth, was sent on a rocket to Jupiter. Simurgh was easier to deal with her in a comatose state. The PRT had quickly began the process to place her in a stabilized orbit of the sun. As for Leviathan, he had been sent on a 140 year journey to the nearest black hole.

It wasn't too long before there was a public news conference held by the Protectorate.

After the press conference all over the world, the headlines were filled with just four words, "The Endbringers are Gone!"

Most people were relieved and silently thanked whoever they prayed to, but others decided to celebrate quite differently. Massive raves were soon thrown all over America in cities everywhere. It was total lawlessness, basically every sort of deviance that people delighted in was 'legal' in an unofficial Mardi Gras. Attempts made by the local law enforcement to contain the situation was useless. The number of people involved was incredible, and there were people from all walks of life; Civilians, Businessmen and even a few police officers. It would be impossible to try to imprison them all so the cops just gave up. It wasn't too long before the PRT finally tried to pull the plug.

The PRT was surprised, however, by a massive organized opposition from gangs all over the country.

This didn't stop them from placing a deadline for the Mardi Gras to end, and for a while most people thought the gangs were going to push them past the deadline. A few days later, the Mardi Gras had finally finished just before the deadline. The organizers of the Mardi Gras had promised to throw one again on the anniversary of the Endbringers' departure.

Despite this, business was booming. The world had changed with the threat of the Endbringers gone. the The economy had improved; it wasn't too long before Taylor's Dad got a promotion for a management position in New York.

There were many tears shed, but Taylor had friends in Brockton Bay. One in particular, Emma, was like a sister to her. For three years they lived in New York, the place was harsh from what she could remember, but they were happy. Her Dad was making a good income, and her Mom was teaching at a university.

Things were going splendidly for Taylor, until a few months from her tenth birthday.

Danny and Anne had taken Taylor with them to an elegant restaurant. Unfortunately, the meal had ended abruptly when they started arguing about Danny buying some of the wine. They agreed to go home before they upset their daughter. That's where Taylor's memories started to become unstable; when they got in the car, she couldn't recall anything. The first thing Taylor had remembered when she woke up, was of smoke everywhere. After a while, she noticed that her shirt felt wet, she had looked down, and the felt a sharp pain in her arm. There was a large amount of metal pipe pierced in her arm. After that, one of the last things Taylor saw before she lost consciousness, one of the last things she saw was her father. He was in a school bus pulling a few kids out, while her mom was right next to her holding her hand.

Trying to sit up, Anne forced Taylor to lay back down. Her mother then told her that it had been an earthquake, and that paramedics were on their way. That's when Taylor blacked out again.

The next time she had regained consciousness she found her mom lying on the floor next to her. Anne was out cold. She tried to wake her, and that's when Taylor noticed the sound of someone punching glass. Her dad was still inside of the bus, trapped. It had been knocked over by the earthquake. Taylor was so scared, She she tried to reach out to him, but she couldn't do anything.

She had lost a lot of blood, she could barely think.

Any hope of her father surviving died within the next few minutes. A crack had formed underneath the bus and it was growing larger by the second. That's when she remembered just where they were; on a bridge...the Brooklyn Bridge.

The crack gave way, and the bus containing her father finally fell into the river. Something inside her broke as she watched it disappear. She knew then that she would never see her dad again.

The next moment, a cape came in and grabbed Taylor. It was immediately apparent that said cape, a woman in costume, was a teleporter. Taylor screamed at her to stop, that her mother was still out there. The Cape didn't respond to any of her questions or threats and she just transported Taylor away. The next thing Taylor knew she was in the hospital. She stared at the cape trying to glare her down.

The cape sighed. "I don't know if she's alive, but I'll try to find her OK?"

Taylor nodded vigorously and, the next thing she knew, the doctors were already working on her arm.

"Oh god, it hurts! oh Oh God, how could I had have completely forgotten about the -" In mid-thought Taylor had been given an anesthetic; the last conscious thought she had was, "I don't want to lose my arm."

The next time Taylor woke up she felt much better, refreshed and renewed. and her arm wasn't scarred or amputated; a bio-tinker maybe?

The doctors had told Taylor that her mother was alive and that they would be able to leave soon. That night, and every other night she spent in hospital, was filled with horrifying visions; dreams of Behemoth burning her father alive. Doctors eventually offered her dream suppressants after it got so bad she became an insomniac. Taking them helped her sleep, but those memories were still there waiting to surface.

When Anne had arrived at the room Taylor had been staying in, she was shocked. God, she had looked terrible; she was wrapped in bandages from her head and her arms. Apparently, the survivors were getting first class treatment for their injuries. At the time, because the PRT wanted to downplay the casualties to an absolute minimum which meant no lasting injuries or scars.

They had spent a few days there at the hospital; after that, Anne and Taylor left for Brockton Bay.

Casualties were also significantly low despite the fact that the earthquake was a level six. There was a brief scare when someone had started a rumor that behemoth was back on earth and was the source of the earthquake. Luckily, the rumor was quickly dismissed and no one did anything stupid.

Returning to Brockton Bay had forced her to face the fact that she had lost her father to the Earthquake that day, and that things had changed drastically forever. A few weeks after she had moved back to Brockton Bay, she found out just how drastic.

It was the middle of night and Taylor was angry; so enraged that a meaningless event as an earthquake had taken away the only father I she had ever known. Then she felt pain...as though someone had sliced open her cranium and poured molten magma inside. Every moment Taylor was awake, she thought she would go insane from the sheer agony. To make her waking horror worse, the burning sensation spread to her spine, bringing in a new level of pain. She fell to the ground paralyzed, Taylor couldn't scream or move, and the pain just wouldn't stop.

Then it felt like something ripped itself out of her skull and Taylor finally blacked out after that.

When Taylor finally woke up her head felt so weird as everything seemed so clear; old thoughts and memories were so easy to access. Taylor had also noticed that her acumen and vocabulary had become improved to say the least. In a moment, she felt herself flashing back to her 4th birthday with Emma with ease. Next, she tried to remember the first book she had ever read. It was so easy...it was an old high school math book. Her mom had been gone for the day, so she was left with a babysitter.

Taylor was bored so she went inside her mother's office and started reading her mom's books. Unfortunately, for her mom, Taylor was four at the time and she couldn't read yet, so five minutes later she was bored again. The next thing Anne knew, when she came home, was that Taylor had drawn all over her textbooks.

Anne wasn't pleased at the babysitter for letting Taylor walk around the house without supervision. She also wasn't too pleased about having to remove crayon wax from her beloved textbooks.

It was then that Taylor realized something, all that information was now in her head, "Am I Tinker or a Thinker?"

She searched her mind before pulling up another old memory. Taylor was 6 at the time and she had gone with her mom to her college class. Anne had written an equation on the drawing board. After she finished writing it down Anne said, if they could solve it, they would allowed to skip the final. But no one had stepped up.

Taylor was so bored that day and she had fallen asleep just as Her mother was going to solve it. She remembered the equation and began to write it out; it was ridiculously long. Taylor looked at it and began to try to solve it. Her mind surged, as it slowly began to make sense. Taylor was elated to say the least, and then she had another idea. She decided to try something and Google the equation.

As she learned more about the equation, it became apparent that it was a part of the field of thermodynamics. It was so complex no wonder no one stepped up to her challenge."You would have to have a full degree in both math and physics to solve this. The fact that I could understand some of this instinctively meant I have to be some kind of tinker."

Looking back at the principles behind solving it Taylor felt something shift. Her mind felt weird and then all of a sudden Taylor knew what was different. Now she understood some of the principles behind Thermodynamics, or at least part of it. She looked for another equation, much more difficult but with the same principle.

In a matter of seconds Taylor solved an equation with a concept she had only just grasped an understanding of.

...

...

...

"I SOLVED IT!"

It was then that she realized what her power was, or part of it anyway. With her new abilities, she could learn at an accelerated rate and remember anything. Taylor nearly fell, after that.

She took a step back and realized what had just happened, "I hurt myself and I understand Thermodynamics, or part of it at least. Maybe...my abilities aren't supposed to be used like this."

"Let's see, even before I studied the topic in general, somehow I had an instinctive understanding of physics." She went on her laptop and started typing away as she logged into the local college virtual library, using her mom's password. Taylor checked out Chemistry 101.

And that's how Taylor began her study of college freshman level chemistry. A few hours into the book Taylor began to grow bored; yes, she was learning, but the basics were so boring. She finally finished it after some time, now she knew basic chemistry, she felt weird but no real inspiration; she understood now how to build new parts for her laptop but that's all . She decided to look up a book, it seemed to be on bonding agents and solvents it went on to describe the inter-molecular forces that worked in nature in great detail.

"Pretty interesting," Taylor thought, and then she started writing down some of this stuff for notes. Then a thought occurred, I started writing down a bonding agent that absorbs kinetic energy,electromagnetism and Redirects it. Quickly writing down the formula she felt giddy with laughter." WooooooHooo! I am A TINKER!"

Ten seconds after that Taylor fell asleep. She didn't know it then, but she had a power that would change everything.

 **The next morning...**

It was Saturday, 8:00 in the morning, and Taylor had gotten on her laptop. Currently she was working on finding a physics book. Taylor started with the basics like chemistry. Nope nothing, it was 6 hours later and, although she was sure she would get an A in my final for basic physics college, Taylor wasn't getting any new ideas with just the basics. Without any other ideas for the moment, she decided to relax for the day.

Taylor decided relax the rest of the day by drawing . As she continued to draw, her thoughts turned to tinkerers, about how they usually worked in their labs. Some of them even had their own pocket dimension to work in. When Taylor thought about it her thoughts had turned envious.

"I really wish I had my own dimension like those protectorate tinkerers have. So I could ju-" suddenly, Taylor felt something new; this one was hard to figure out. Numbers began to run across her vision, "I ran out paper!" Then she remembered her Mom had a leftover sketchbook from her artist faze when she was still a college student.

Taylor had spent hours on that sketch book as dozens of numbers continued to run across her vision. As she continued to sketch more and more, Taylor finally realized what it was she was sketching...the first drawing she'd started appeared to be the size of a beach ball. The outside would be made of chromium, while the inside would have carbon circuitry.

With each stroke, every line Taylor drew, more information began to fill her mind as slowly she began to piece it together almost as though she was reading it off a piece of paper,"The Dimensional Expander, placed within the center of any room causes caused a dimensional expansion that pushes out normal reality by causing a time dilation effect while causing a spatial expansion of up to 60 miles-."

Taylor felt her head begin to throb. Information poured through her mind in regards to the schematics on how to build a supercomputer and methods on how to grow a Techno-organic nervous system for a prosthetic armor. It was all too much and the thoughts too loud, but ideas kept on screaming in her ears. The next moment,she couldn't hear anything; it was so blissfully silent.

Then the next second, sound came roaring back with a vengeance,"Taylor! For the last time!"

She looked up; her body finally allowing it. Her mother looked hysterical; almost as though she could snap at any moment...

"Mom?"

Mom was crying? Why was she crying? Taylor didn't know what to do my, her mother was scared and she had worried about her. Taylor leaned in and let her cry and just hugged her tightly. She leaned into it and was embraced heavily.

"What happened to you Taylor?! You were just staring at that paper. I tried to get your attention...for 30 minutes! But nothing worked! You scared me Taylor. I thought that someone or something had taken you away! That some sicko with master powers had hurt you!"

Taylor was shocked at her reaction. Her Father's death must have really hurt for her to be this paranoid and anxious, but still, Taylor needed to defuse this anxiety, it was not healthy for her, "Mom that's not it at all, I think I've triggered."

For a moment it seemed as though if a needle had been dropped we would have heard it. "…W-w-hat type?" she asked, shaking with fear very evident in her voice.

'She's so frightened,' Taylor thought. 'I promise mom, I'm going to watch over you more. Still, it sounds like I needed to reassure her somehow,' Taylor sighed before she said aloud, "I'm pretty sure I'm a Tinker."

Anne sighed and seemed to be mouthing 'Thank you God' but asked aloud, "Can I see?"

Taylor showed Anne her designs for the dimensional expander. Anne's eyes had widened at the professionally drawn blueprint as she shifted the paper to the back.

"What is this?" she pointed to a series of equations that had filled up the entirety of the back.

"That's the mathematical principle it works on."

Her Mom raised an eyebrow at that and accusingly asked, "Taylor, when were you going to tell me you triggered?"

"I think I just realized it today; it must have happened when dad died, but I was too scared and angry at the time to notice." The expression on Anne's face was pure relief.

Taylor was wondering wondered what that look meant, 'She thought I that I hid that from her?'

"Taylor I know that we've been distant these past few weeks, you've always been a sweet and smart little girl. And I am so sorry I've been neglecting you these past few weeks."

"Mom I'm not going to be angry at you for being human and grieving..." Anne flinched "...it's both our faults, OK?" Taylor moved closer, embracing her mother. She returned the hug. "So then what are we going to do Mom? I'm so clueless about how to fix this. How about...no that wouldn't work, but..."

"Here's what's going to happen...you and me are going to see a therapist on the weekend, hopefully every weekend, staring this Saturday, and if that doesn't work we'll talk things out like a family."

"That could work," Taylor finished with a wry grin. Her thoughts turned to the designs she had drawn out.

"And the answer is, No, Taylor; I don't even want to hear the word, 'Ward,' until you're 18," Anne replied when she quickly began to protest. "Taylor, I don't want you fighting right now. I just lost your father, I can't lose you, too. I am not against you fighting crime or joining the wards once you are old enough."

Taylor thought about it before she finally gave in to the harsh truth, 'Okay I guess she has a point it's not like they're recruiting ten year-old's.'

Taylor nodded an assent before they both hugged and got ready for bed. When Taylor was finally ready she found one of her designs lying at the foot of the bed. An idea occurred to her. Her mother may have said no to crime fighting, but she never said anything about about preparing. She snuck out of her room and headed to the garage.

Once Taylor was inside she grabbed the power tools and the blow torch and got to work.

She was lucky her mom never threw away her old laptops. With all of those computers lying around she had a variety of supplies and compounds to salvage for her needs.

It was a few hours into the night when Taylor had finished her current invention: the carbon chip. Despite the fact that it was called a chip it was actually shaped like an oval. This was only the first step in completing her tinker device.

She soon realized what time it was "5:28?!" Taylor quickly began to put the power tools away.

She snuck back into my bed with her mother none the wiser. Then, almost an hour and thirty minutes later, the alarm began to ring.

"Gah! why couldn't I have gotten brute or blaster powers instead of tinkering! So I could just blast that stupid clock!" Taylor continued to rave and rant angrily until the alarm rang the second time.

She sighed and got up to get ready for school.

 **At Middle School**

Middle school was pretty much easy for Taylor. She had always been pretty smart, A's came with little to no effort. Unfortunately that was exactly the problem; today, in class, she had pretty much fallen asleep. The teacher, Mrs. Keane, wasn't pleased and she asked Taylor to solve a math problem. She was tired so she solved it quickly.

Everyone had gasped; Taylor was finally shaken out of her stupor by what she had unknowingly done. It was a simple problem by Middle school standards. Even before she got her powers her mother wanted her to have an edge in school, so Anne taught her whatever she knew that Taylor could understand. She was always amazed by her progress. Her mother even hinted every once in a while that she wanted Taylor to become a 'Professor' like her someday.

But what Taylor had just done right now, solving a problem when she only had a glance at it and in front of everyone in the classroom.

The teacher adjusted her features into a stern look before requesting, "Taylor, may I see your mother after class?"

She nodded a reply and went back to her desk trying desperately to disappear.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

 **After School**

"Taylor, why I was called to school; did something happen? Are you okay?" Anne looked dazed and exhausted; she had left her tutoring class as soon as possible when Taylor called.

"I think that Ms. Keane knows I'm a para-human."

Taylor's mother looked positively shell-shocked and asked. "How did she figure that out?"

"I was so tired today I was falling fell asleep in class..." Anne narrowed her eyes when she mentioned falling asleep; that look in her eye meant that they would be talking about that later.

She motioned for her to continue, "So anyway, Ms. Keane had a problem on the board she asked me to solve, which I did...barely looking at it."Anne looked contemplative and began to assess the situation and their options.

She didn't notice the 5th grade teacher approaching her from behind. Miss Keane approached her slowly before tapping her on the shoulder."Mrs. Herbert? Hi my name is, Ms. Keane, I teach Taylor's 5th grade class; it's very nice to meet you."

"Miss Keane, my name is Anne- WAIT! Did you say your name is Keane?! Is that you Margaret?!"

A look of confusion was on Margaret's face before recognition reared it's head, " Anne it's been ages how have you been?!"

"I've been well enough, but ever since that earthquake, we've had to adjust without Danny," Anne looked haunted for a moment before she pushed it away. "So how have you been, Margret?"

"I'm good, thank you for asking, Anne. After I left the city I decided to travel the world for a bit and get it out of my system. When I came back to Brockton Bay I decided to teach and I loved it ever since."

Anne and Margret continued to talk and recount some of their most treasured stories from high school.

Meanwhile, Taylor was freaking out, "Wait...Mom, how do you know her?!"

Anne And Miss Keane both looked embarrassed at the question, "W-We were best friends in high school; we used to spend a lot of time together."

Ms. Keane blushed at the word 'together', "Uh, Anne, can we get back to why I called for you?"

Anne 's face changed from an embarrassed one to a very serious one, "Yes, why did you call me?"

"Can we take this conversation to the Teacher's lounge? I don't think anyone is there now."

Both Taylor and Anne nodded, following Ms. Keane to the Teacher's lounge.

Ms. Keane pulled an office chair from the desk setting it in front of the sofa, "Now, the reason I asked for you today was because during class I noticed something different about your daughter. Are you aware Taylor is a para-human?"

Anne looked pale while Taylor looked like she could swallow a fly any moment.

Anne cleared her throat, "Yes, I am aware of Taylor's ability. May I ask just what your intentions are, Margret?"

Ms. Keane looked like she had been struck.

"N-No, No, it's just I'm always hearing about the Wards and Independents. I was just worried Taylor was running off in the middle of the night without your permission."

Anne was relieved that this wasn't blackmail coming from an old friend.

"No, I found about her abilities yesterday." She then looked at Taylor said mock-sternly said, "And no, she will not be going anywhere near the wards Wards for a while."

Taylor stuck her tongue out at her mom, who giggled good-naturedly.

"I see; in that case, would you like me to keep an eye on Taylor in school for you?" Ms. Keane inquired.

Taylor gawked at the offer before looking at her mom who seemed to be considering it.

"I appreciate the offer, Margret; thank you." Anne grabbed a piece of paper and wrote her new cellphone number, "I forgot, I had my cellphone replaced. I gave the school my old number."

Ms. Keane smiled warmly before taking the number.

As Taylor and her mother drove home, Taylor finally asked her, " Soooo, Ms. Keane?"

Anne caught the underlying question, "You're asking if I had a 'relationship' with her?" Taylor nodded skittishly. "There was some attraction from her to me at the time, but I was completely oblivious to it for a while. Eventually she gave up, though when I found out about it later, we tried, but we settled on just staying friends. She left the city shortly after that, but we promised to keep in touch. It looks like neither of us kept that promise."

On the outside Taylor looked the picture of calm...but on the inside, 'My Mom used to date my teacher?!'

She didn't know what to think; her mom, the woman she respected the most, had dated her teacher!

Taylor was so stunned she didn't notice her mother trying to get her attention, "Taylor!"

"Huh, what did you say mom?"

"I was asking you if you wanted to get some ice cream. This was probably an uncomfortable experience for you," Taylor blinked twice but before she could respond...

*GROWL*

Taylor was embarrassed by the sound of her stomach.

Anne merely giggled, "I guess we both know the answer to that question?"

They both shared a laugh at that.

Anne had a look of melancholy as they arrive at the ice cream shop. Taylor pushed aside her startling revelation for now; her mom needed her.

"Come on, mom; let's get some mooliuem crunch!" Taylor grabbed her mother's hand, shaking Anne out of her dark thoughts.

Anne went inside the ice cream shop with Taylor equally cheerful.

 **Later that Night**

Taylor was working on her laptop. After upgrading her laptop's processing power with the new carbon chip, she was pleased to find out that her laptop was faster and had no heating issues.

When she finished her analysis, she started writing new software for her laptop. It seemed that, along with welding and her accelerated learning, programming was now well within Taylor's new skill set. Writing the code was difficult, but she was able to salvage a few lines of code.

She was almost half way done with it when she said, "I really need a break; this is way harder than it looks."

She continued to type away.

As the situation was now, Taylor had a major roadblock keeping her from working on her dimensional expander...money.

Which was why she was currently trying to upgrade her software. Her computer may be up to par on the hardware but she still needed to optimize its speed and security if she's going to use it to hold her blueprints and ideas. It was ready.

Taylor took a few minutes before she finally clicked the enter key, "Great, now I need to find something to occupy myself with while my software updates..."

She went to living room and decided to watch television for a few hours. Taylor grabbed the remote and started channel surfing until she remembered her favorite channel the AU Network, "Earth Alpha is the bomb when it comes to television. Dang it, it's all Disney films for today. Let's see if Mom recorded any new movies in the DVR."

After a few minutes, Taylor settled on Bruce Almighty. It started out roughly, Taylor didn't have sympathy for the petty character at first, but she had a few laughs here and there. Eventually her fortress of neutrality cracked and Taylor laughed like a hyena at Jim Carrey's antics.

By the end of the movie Taylor was ready to give it her personal critique, "Morgan Freeman's portrayal of God is okay But it was a little over the top. Eh, you know what, it's a little cheesy, but I'll give it a 4 out of 5. What time is it now? Oh yeah, it's already been 2 hours. Let's see if the laptop's done."

When Taylor got to her room, she opened up her laptop and ran a diagnostic. She took out her I-phone and opened up her old diagnostic report. After a few minutes, Taylor found out that her laptop was running at seven times the speed of a commercial tinker laptop. The power consumption rate was mostly the same except for a marginal increase, "Huh, not bad for my first full upgrade."

She spent a few more weeks after that rewriting her security software until she was satisfied.

 **Taylor's room, ( Several months later.)**

Taylor was at her laptop, ecstatic that months of planning were not in vain. She had finished her simulator program and made her blueprints. Unfortunately, she didn't have any idea how to send them to Dragon's. So until she knew how, she decided to type out a letter; so far, all she had written were her greetings.

She had thought long and hard about what to call herself. Professor Utonium was the first name to come to mind. And since nothing else came to mind, she decided to stick with for now or until it grows on her. Whatever she planned to write was interrupted by an unexpected interloper...her mother.

"Taylor are you messaging Dragon?!" Taylor flinched she turned to see her mother with a look on her face. It wasn't anger, it was far worse than that...it was disappointment.

"Are you going to let me explain or are you going to yell?"

Anne was visibly distressed at the question, "No, I'm not, Taylor; it's just...can you please explain what this is all about?"

"I know full well you don't want me joining the wards, Mom. I understand and respect that; it's my powers, OK?" Anne slowly began to understand. "I can't fight, I get that my powers aren't physical, but my greatest superpower right now is my mind and the ability to use it. Tinkerers build weapons, they design armor every day, their minds scream at them to work to keep building."

"It's difficult, Mom...everyday my mind is over-clocked. I have so many ideas begging to be used," Taylor pulled out the laptop, pulling up and clicking on a zipped file before turning the laptop to her.

"What is this Taylor?"

"I call it Promethium X; it may very well be the key to creating the holy grail of science...limitless energy." She clicked on the enter key after a few minutes she handed the printed papers to her mother.

Anne's eyes bulged at the idea laid out on paper. She shuffled, looking at the graphs her daughter had made...cold fusion, plasma...they would have nothing on this. Anne looked over the notations; it was so complex, and yet not entirely out of the reach of a college professor.

"All I was trying to do was convince Dragon to help me sell some software. I need the money for some ideas I have. And to be honest, Mom, I haven't even been able to contact her yet."

Anne walked up to to her daughter, no expression was visible at all, "Taylor, if this was all you wanted to do you, why couldn't you have come to me about this?"

Relief was the only expression on Taylor's face, "So you're not mad, Mom?"

"No, I'm not mad. It's just...can you promise that you will come to me next time you want to plan something like this?" Taylor was taken by surprise by that answer then she remembered something.

"Actually I've been trying to find a lawyer to negotiate my contract. Maybe you could help with that?" Taylor's mother pondered this for a moment before she went to her office and pulled out her old contacts book.

She looked for a while before finding the name she wanted, "Lana Strung, we knew each other in college; last I heard she became a lawyer. I remember now she's Em-"

Anne was cut off by her daughter hugging her, "Thanks, Mom! I appreciate this...really."

Anne hugged her back and squeezed tight, "Want to go for some Ice cream?"

Taylor nodded her head rapidly.

"AWW...that's so cute!" Anne hugged her tightly and began to pinch Taylor's cheeks.

She got out of her grip only for Anne to chase after her. It was only after a half an hour of tickling and hugs that they realized they forgot their ice cream. Anne promptly grabbed her keys and they headed to their car.

 **The Next Day**

Taylor was so excited; today was her birthday and her best friend was coming over.

*Ding Dong*

Taylor ran to her door and opened it. A tall girl with leg braces walked in; she was a cute girl with red hair. As for why she was in the leg brace, her father had done dirty business with the empire. Suffice it to say a deal went sideways and the Empire had taken it out on poor Emma.

Emma eventually recovered, but when she returned to school, things were not the same. Children can be cruel...especially middle school children. Emma struggled to be strong, to not give in to the overwhelming despair she felt. Eventually, though, Emma had cracked; the strong facade just wasn't working.

That's when a 5th grader walked up to her and said, "Hi."

At first, Emma had been hostile to her. She didn't need some 5th grader to make her feel better; she didn't need pity! To her surprise the 5th grader snapped back and punched her. They fought for a few minutes... The few kids that had gathered around to see a slapping contest had been sorely disappointed.

Then they got caught; neither of them said a word to one another in the office. In the few weeks that followed they became fre-nemies. Everyday from there on they took a shot at one another or tried to outdo the other in school somehow; this became a rivalry. A month passed and they started talking to one another, after some time they finally recognized one another and resumed their friendship.

Today, Emma had shown up for Taylor's birthday.

"Hey, Taylor; happy birthday," she moved closer to shoulder-hug her.

A tall blonde woman walked in shortly after Emma walked in; this was Emma's mother and Anne's friend Lana Strung.

"Anne, how are you doing?" Lana said in a stern neutral voice.

"I'm doing good, Lana. How are you?" The tension between the two was thick.

Lana watched as Taylor and Emma went into the kitchen to eat with the other guests. "So, Anne...why did you call me here?"

Anne looked into her eyes searching for some trace of emotion. "Have I done something to earn such hostility, Lana?"

A look of anger was quickly placed aside in favor of cold logic. "Nothing...absolutely nothing, Anne. I apologize, that was rude of me."

"I was not happy about what happened to my daughter." She moved closer to Anne,"And I am apprehensive to let this friendship continue...considering how it started out."

Anne seriously considered slapping Lana before she regained control of herself, "They're kids, Lana; yes, they restarted their friendship on the wrong track but they got over it, but look at them now!"

Lana turned to see her daughter and Taylor happily enjoying the food with the rest of the guests, "This friendship is good for both of them, Lana."

Lana smiled at the happy sight; her daughter was actually talking to people again, "I know what you mean, Anne. Emma hasn't been the same since that Empire scare. I'm sorry for what I said earlier that wasn't...I was nervous."

'Why are you nervous?"

Lana looked like she would rather die than admit weakness but she decided to just come clean, "I ran away from her, Emma, I mean. When Emma was born, I was a different person. I wasn't the kinder person you knew in college. The legal world had made me cold, ruthless; the marriage between her father and me was purely business."

"A child was never brought up in our negotiations. We both thought we were sterile, yet, somehow Emma just happened."

Anne held her rage at what Lana had said she tried to understand and then she asked, "What did you do?"

With a heavy tone Lana answered her, "I had received an invitation to join the Bar in New York. It's what I wanted my whole life, so I faked an argument and we agreed to just stay separate to avoid damage to our reputation."

For a moment, Anne only saw red, then the next thing she knew, Lana was on the floor with a broken nose. The guests were rushing to see what the commotion was all about.

For a moment, Anne panicked about what she was going to do.

"It's fine...I just slipped," Lana was back up holding a napkin to her nose. "Anne, can you show me where the restroom is?"

Anne nodded like her life depended on it before guiding Lana to it.

Once they were inside, they washed up before they talked again, "I'm sorry about punching you, Lana."

She waved it off, "No, for what I did...leaving my daughter like that...I deserved that and more."

Lana's eyes were watery, she tried to fight back the tears; then they fell one by one until her face was saturated.

"I came and visited her every year to get rid of the guilt. Every time, but it wasn't enough for me. I had to be there for her. I quit my job in New York and I tried to get a divorce from Alan. I didn't want Emma to be growing up around that sort of lifestyle; but he refused to let her go. The bastard was so confident that he would never get caught. Alan actually believed that his connections with the Empire made him invincible, but then-" she stopped talking as the terror in her eyes said it all.

When Lana started again, it was with a near-silent voice, "Alan forgot something. I don't know what it was, but it was enough that they sent thugs to teach him a lesson by making an example out of my daughter. She was lucky that a Protectorate Cape had been patrolling nearby."

The guilt on Lana's face was evident; she blamed herself for daughter's condition. Anne moved to comfort Lana before finally embracing her in a hug.

"I don't know why I told you this; I'm usually much more reserved," Lana muttered through Anne's hair.

"Well, we were rivals and best friends in college...that might have something to do with it." They both lost track of time as they talked about their colorful past in college.

Lana reminded Anne about the time they fell asleep in the library studying for their exams. Then both Lana and Anne were embarrassed as they recounted the time they had gotten revenge on the sorority girls by stealing all their underwear and tying all of it to the school flag.

Afterwards Lana was laughing uproariously, "You always were the wild one, Anne; whenever someone pushed us around you always went overboard."

She blushed at that remark, "I know full well I had a temper when I was younger, but I've worked on it; there hasn't been an incident like the 'sorority girls' since then."

Lana smirked unconvinced "Come on, Anne; I know you too well. When was the last time you really let loose the dogs of war?"

"It's been a long time, Lana; I'm not proud of who I was back then, but I've worked on my temper."

"I can tell you right now that, compared to your previous demeanor, you seemed to have the patience of a saint. The old Anne I knew would not have stopped at one hit."

"I get it Lana, I know full well in college I could have been called a Tsundere", they both stood quite coldly glaring at each other before erupting into hilarious laughter.

Lana and Anne continued to talk about their young and restless college days.

They eventually rejoined the party just as they started to get ready to cut Taylor's birthday cake.

Anne asked mischievously."Did they sing the birthday song yet?"

"MOM, NO!" The rest of the party was simple; Taylor protested the birthday song, but they sang it anyway much to her displeasure.

After Taylor blew her candles out they cut the cake and began to open presents. The games that followed were some of Taylor's happiest memories with her best friend...

 **Later in that evening...**

They had started to clean up the food, with Lana and Emma helping out.

Afterwards, just before Lana was about to leave, Anne asked to speak with her in the garage, "What's this about Anne, are you in some kind of trouble?"

She hesitated before replying, this was her daughter she was talking about so she wanted to proceed cautiously.

"There's a student of mine, I've known her for a long time and...she triggered into a tinker quite recently."

Lana wasn't surprised; the world has gone down the tubes since Eidolon died and Scion just disappeared. The world's two most powerful, benevolent capes were just gone.

"She stole something and you want me to represent her?" Lana asked.

"No, no, nothing like that; she wants to be a hero, but her mother doesn't want her anywhere near the Protectorate or the Toy Box...she just lost her Father" Anne informed her.

Lana's eyes narrowed at that information before she reasserted control.

Anne continued to elaborate, "Still, she wants to help and if she can't fight, or do direct work, than she would at least like some funding to start her own lab. I want to you to help her set up negotiations with the PRT and make sure they don't try to force her into those Tinker-Contracts."

Neither woman expressed it out loud, but Lana knew what Anne was dancing around...Tinkerers in the PRT were looked at as a valuable resource. But the Tinkerers weren't trusted by the organization they worked for, they were segregated in their labs, both locally and abroad. Any Tinker who stepped out of line would face a harsh judgement, comparable to military punishments on many levels.

"I know they promise safety and funding, but let's be honest, half the time they can't operate competently with all the bureaucrats getting in the way. They spend so much time and effort on regulating Tinkerers and public opinion. The whole organization is shooting itself in the foot and has been for a long time."

Lana nodded in agreement before replying, "I understand your concern; a number of our problems would be solved if the PRT could be more active. However, there would be consequences funding that much activity, it's just not possible. Even now we can barely afford our new energy weapons."

Tears threatened to fall from Anne's face, "I know her well, Lana; I taught her everything she knows and she wants to help. I-I've accepted that someday my student will want to be a hero. But what I will not tolerate is her being forced to fight with one hand tied behind her back! It's worse than suicide...it's just plain stupid. But, that's how the PRT has been fighting!"

"It can't be that bad, Anne; we've had time to recover from the Endbringers. Even now the PRT has energy weapons they have been able to use to keep up with the gangs."

"It's not enough, Lana; you know better. The cape population is biased towards villains and sociopaths. The point of the PRT isn't just to keep the situation from getting worse, but to actually improve it."

"When the Endbringers last attacked they were much more vicious than they were in all of their previous encounters. Lana these...things, these abominations...don't need food, they don't need air, and we don't know where they came from. We don't even know why they were here. If the Endbringers were still here the rest of the planet would be uninhabitable by now and they would still be here snuffing out whatever spark of life is left. But do you want to know the worst part is, Lana?"

Lana shook her head in denial, "No, that's enough; I don't want to hear anymore." She held her hands to her ears and desperately tried to suppress her hearing... unfortunately, it failed.

"The PRT didn't stop the Endbringers,Lana. Scion fought them and no one knows what happened to him only that he's gone. But if that's the case why is the human race still alive?" Anne pursued. "It certainly wasn't because of the PRT or the military it was because those wretched, mindless abominations WENT INTO A COMA!"

The look of horror on Lana's face was a struggle for her to suppress, " I understand, Anne; if this was three years ago, I would agree with you, but they're gone."

Anne was hesitant to continue but she moved forward, "I teach geniuses for a living, Lana; a good number of my students still call me sometimes to double-check their work."

"Your point being..." Lana responded in an angry, bitter tone.

"I know damn well better than most people how to run the numbers. Society cannot take anymore of this continued abuse. Look at the world we live in, most of our S-class Para-humans are Sociopaths!"

"And a single Tinker is supposed to change that? Change the situation, save the world? That's Insane, Anne!"

"The definition of insanity is doing the same action and expecting a different result. We don't have to change the world, we just have to show them a better one. They'll want it so bad they will fight for it."

"And what makes her so different; what does she have that the other Tinkerers don't?"

"Limitless Energy. She's figured out a way to produce it. Lana, if this is possible, we could build multiple, orbital defenses. With this it would actually be feasible to turn our cities into fortresses. I've checked the science behind it myself...it's sound. Anything that I couldn't understand I had sent to a few scientists, they're the best in their fields; they are very interested in seeing if the results are actually possible."

"And why can't you trust the PRT?"

"Regulations... Politicians would rather spend time debating whether or not to use it. Not to mention the fact that once you join PRT, they own you and anything you touch. Lana, this has the potential to change everything. I'm asking you to help me make sure that they don't bury this discovery."

Lana was undecided on whether or not she believed anything Anne was saying; she did know one thing however; a Tinker could be a great client for lawyers. She would have to meet her first before deciding whether or not to take the job."I'm going to have to meet her myself...in costume."

Anne sighed with relief, "Thank you, I really appreciate it."

Lana shook her head, "I don't know whether you are insane or you're absolutely right, but one thing is for certain...the PRT is too tied up in politics. A discovery like this shouldn't be buried; if this can help people, than it should be out there. I can arrange a meeting with the PRT next month, but I want to meet the Tinker in person."

Emma walked in the house again, "Come on, Mom; it's late!"

"I'll be there in a minute, sweetie. Goodbye, Anne."

"Goodbye, Lana...I'm sorry if what I said frightened you."

Lana merely shook her head with a grim look in her eyes, "Don't apologize for pulling my head out of the sand. I needed a reality check; thank you, Anne."

The two mothers said their goodbyes. That night as both of them went to sleep, neither of them had realized that their choices that day would shape the future.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer I do not own any of the Movies/Games/Cartoons they are the property of Wildbow, Cartoon Network, Hasbro, 2K, Bethsheda Works. Please Support the original writers/owners!

Origin

1.2

Taylor was exhausted after countless hours of work her efforts had finally paid off. She stared at the reward of her sweat and tears...her brand new costume. The original color scheme went out of the window. Unfortunately due to her eager experimentation with the fabric she depleted most of her favorite colors. Although her experimentations had shown her how to make the suit stronger and far more flexible, she had forgotten to save enough of her favorite colors.

So Taylor would have to make due. Her end-product was a spandex-like suit with a mask. She also had a lab coat as part of her costume. It was an old thing from her mother's college days, but it felt right; she thought it tied the suit together.

Taylor was thankful that her mother had given her a respectable amount of finance to assist her with the costume. The spandex formula was originally a bullet resistant Tinker product and was fairly resistant to knives. Then she managed to increase it's strength and optimized it's utility in a variety of environments. She was also pleased to find that she had some money left so she bought custom glass lenses for the mask.

It was a pain waiting for them but unfortunately Taylor would need them due to her flawed sight. When they had arrived Taylor was pleased to learn that, as advertised, the glass lenses were incredibly resistant to kinetic force. They easily endured a few smacks from the sledgehammer Taylor had in her garage. She slipped them into her mask and put it on the suit.

"This costume feels weird but, then again, most para-humans fight in something ridiculous." Taylor thought as she moved to look at her mirror. "The more I look at it, the more I like it."

She never noticed that her mother walked in with a happy grin that turned mischievous. Anne moved stealthily and with purpose, careful to avoid creating a sound. When she was finally right behind Taylor she carefully whispered "Boo…" To Anne's eternal delight she was treated to the most adorable blush from her little owl; a few seconds later Taylor finally finished screaming.

For the next 30 minutes Taylor would continue to pout and deny that she screamed while she was driven to her first meeting...in costume. In the years to come, no matter how many times her mother repeated the story to Taylor's children and grandchildren, she would always deny she screamed.

Meanwhile, elsewhere

Contessa walked into the bedroom with a look of despair. As she sat down, she had to resist the urge to trace the area were her agent once resided. Just a few hours ago, Contessa was an unstoppable thinker. Her abilities to predict and manipulate were unparalleled by any other thinker. Then she met with someone beyond the multiverse, the being that had called herself, Luna.

(FlashBack)

It had manifested as an attractive women in her prime with blue hair. Luna introduced herself as a Creator. Contessa asked her sarcastically if she created the universe. Luna explained that she worked with her mother and sister to create her own multiverse. She also said that her mother was responsible for the disruption in this universe that thinkers everywhere were experiencing. When Contessa asked her what exactly did, Luna reached out and touched Contessa on her forehead and then she saw IT!

In a flash, everything she saw the grand scale of the enemy they were fighting and the sad part was that it was almost over. Faust had repaired much of the damage done by the parasites to the multiverse. Unfortunately she couldn't fix everything so she segregated the most damaged and infected sector from the rest of the multiverse.

The Parasites were almost gone. All their efforts amounted to nothing. They had sacrificed so much. Ruined countless lives and what did they have to show for it? This Faust had done the bulk of the work, as suspected, Scion and his Partner were not alone and she had exterminated most of them. The only exception being her small sector.

Contessa almost wanted to throw up, in fact, she was about to do just that. Luna was kind enough to push a trash can in front of Contessa, Luna turned her head as Contessa ejected her Breakfast.

The parasite's ability to communicate with its body mass had been crippled. Their ability to travel between universes dampened severely. In the end, "I can't trust you; I've seen what you do when you gain power." She reached out and touched Contessa with her ring finger on the forehead and, in an instant, Contessa felt searing pain beyond imagination.

She fell to the ground screaming in agony; begging for the pain to stop. Luna kneeled next to Contessa and began to instruct her on what actions she would be allowed and not allowed to take. Whether she liked it or not, Contessa was now a gopher for Luna. And she had no other choice than to obey this...goddess, for lack of a better term, who was on multiple levels beyond the Entities.

For now she had to keep quiet to the rest of her team that she didn't have complete control of her power. Luna told her that she had a part to play in a few years' time. If she played her part faithfully, she would have control of her power back. If, however, she attempted to inhibit their plans in anyway...they would know. After that threat, Contessa asked them, why are they helping the human race and what did they have to gain from it.

"We only want their friendship. Once your race reaches our own level of evolution, we wish to mingle and share insight with one another to reach even greater heights. There's also another reason why My mother is interfering. There are many multiverse throughout the metaverse; most of them are created, others form naturally without beings such as myself."

"My mother, Faust, does not know which type your multiverse is but there is an even greater concern for your multiverse if it is not claimed. If a multiverse loses it's creator or does not become claimed within a certain period of time it becomes claimable by any being with comparable strength to ours. And not all beings on our level are benevolent; some are worse than the writings of this H.P. Lovecraft. So, for now, your Multiverse is in our custody for the time being."

"Please tell me your joking! He doesn't actually exist does he?!"

"Yes, but don't worry, he's far from being all-powerful; although the other elder gods from that pantheon occasionally try to start something on a metaversal scale. Still, I believe we do a decent job of keeping the scum like Cthulhu and his ilk in check."

"So there is no supreme deity basically…" Contessa whispered quietly to herself.

"There is no supreme being ruling the entire metaverse; the last moron who attempted to usurp all of creation had his existence blown across the cosmos into infinity on an nanoscale. I almost pity that fool, but it was his own arrogance that destroyed him." Luna shook her head before refocusing on the present.

"We do however have a council responsible for reigning beings, such as ourselves. If we impose on another god's creation without permission, we would find ourselves punished. And if the god responsible for the creation neglects to the point it almost died…"

"It's like what happens whenever an abusive parent is caught; their child is put in the social services." Luna blinked before reluctantly nodding at the simile. "Not exactly the same, but it's similar enough...although we are not cosmic social services, we're just a responsible enough Pantheon that Court trusts us enough to leave this multiverse in our care for now. Once enough time has passed and the first member of your race evolves to our level it will be left in his or her custody."

"But, we're getting off topic here. You were correct; the metaverse which is beyond this multiverse has no beginning or end...it is filled with an infinite number of multiverses and expands infinitely with no end."

"Although there are a few deities who were born at the same moment of the metaverse, there's no real difference between the strongest old/new gods...power-wise." Luna replied, oblivious to Contessa's quiet contemplation. The gears began to go as she tried to figure a way out of the situation.

Luna stared at Contessa before her eyes turned green and her blue toned skin flickered black. In an instant Contessa was face to face with an alternate version of herself. " What the….?" The Alternate Contessa was wearing prison clothes and her head seemed to be covered in bandages. In a moment Contessa learned that her alternate was a version of herself...if Number-man had Lost his powers sooner and Cauldron had been found out earlier.

It was a difficult challenge but, one by one, Cauldron was dismantled and shutdown. Alexandria was the first to be imprisoned on a new prison orbiting Jupiter. The others were sent to the Birdcage to be executed shortly after having their abilities neutralized. Contessa was the only one to evade capture with her thinker abilities.

She was chased relentlessly for so many months; her powers helped her stay off the grid. All their connections and resources amounted to nothing when everyone wanted you dead. It was a lucky shot from a cop that had crippled this version of her for life. No one had any sympathy as she was dragged into court hours after surgery.

The Courts had ruled that She was responsible for numerous deaths and crimes against humanity. Her sentence would have been death by electric chair and subsequent incineration.

In a flash Luna grabbed the alternate before squeezing her skull. As the blood splattered all over her face, Contessa felt she should have been detached.

Instead there was only a moment of horror and fear; she could almost hear someone still screaming. Contessa had a brief moment of confusion as the source of the shrieking, before she realized that the horrible shrieking was her. Luna left a few minutes after that, summoning a white doorway from nowhere, but just as she was about to leave, she heard Luna say something.

"Gods are generally good people, Contessa, but by no means are we pushovers. My mother and sister are kinder and softer than me; they would treat you better than you deserve. I, on the other hand, only give one chance to people like you. If I catch you committing such actions again, I will be back, and the next time...there will be no mercy."

Luna walked up to Contessa again touched her forehead again, but there was no pain this time. Instead, a light began to emanate from Contessa's head...an Image began to play forth. "This is…" Luna nodded with a small smile. "It's harder than it looks, but much easier than you would believe. Here, on the other hand, is your path which you have so blindly followed." Another image began to form before her; it seemed to twist and turn endlessly. Contessa said to herself. "It's so convoluted. Wait...David was an obstacle to our goal?!"

Luna merely started walking away as though she didn't hear. She stepped forward, vanishing into the doorway before it winked out of existence.

When Contessa tried to use her ability again, she found it had been altered significantly. Or, rather, it had altered drastically beyond comparison. For lack of a better word, it seemed as though Luna had altered her brain to mimic her abilities without a shard. But, it seemed even more different than that as she could see all information when she focused on a single variable. It was overwhelming for her to say the least…

Her previous limitations were removed and she could now fully understand the scope of the organism she was fighting. She focused on the Entities and nearly fell dead from the horror at what she saw.

In her tiny sector of their multiverse there was an immeasurable amount of nodes through which the consciousness of the two entities persisted. Each of one of these nodes was comprised of a pair Scion and Eden. Each node was drawing energy from multiple worlds bleeding trillions for energy across the multiverse. There was still hope her entire sector was covered in a barrier and every time a Scion/Eden pair died countless Earths were saved and the barrier expanded and sealed the non-infected universe from the rest. Then she learned there were even alternate versions of Cauldron including the one she just saw.

It nearly drove her mad when she learned how many iterations of Cauldron existed throughout the multiverse and how many of them failed at their given mandate. Even now, Scion was lying petrified in their lab and they couldn't kill him because he was frozen in space-time, like the Endbringers. For now, they could only study their would-be destroyer and hope they can decipher a way to kill him.

Wait...she didn't have to anymore, did she? Her ability wasn't limited to non-Entities anymore, was it?

"How do we kill Scion?" Her heart began to race as a simulation began to build. "It is not within your capacity to kill an entity, such as Scion, if the receiver known as David still existed. It may have been possible, as it is now, the capabilities needed are beyond your current technologies ability to replicate." Terror gripped Contessa's heart. "How are we supposed to ensure the survival of the human race?!"

She said out of rage she was surprised that there was only one simple task."…For now, ensure the survival of the key element …." PTV mechanically replied.

"What is the key element?!"

"The key element is a twelve year old girl, named Taylor Herbert, whether through your inaction or despite your actions, her actions will help save this world."

"Explain how a twelve year old is supposed to save the world."

"Several years after a scientific breakthrough, she will be responsible for creating four life forms capable of matching Scion…" Contessa was clearly taken aback at that for she was rendered speechless for a while.

(Present Time)

"Heheheheheheh… " Her mind began to unwind as she remembered what had just happened. She started to laughing hysterically at the fact that all her efforts had only exacerbated the issue. She blindly followed her powers which were originally a piece of the beings she was trying to kill and in addition to this despite the fact her agent was restricted at the time she listened to it.

So many iterations of herself gained the PTV and yet the Earths in her sector were no better for it. Killing Eden was only half the problem, their given mandate was to see Scion dead as well. It was why they had all stained their souls in the blackest of inks. The people they killed, the murders they had left loose upon the earth, and all of it may have been forgivable...or at least acceptable if they had saved mankind.

Contessa could see almost then the countless failures of Cauldron's Alternates, their atrocities committed, and repeated across the multiverse; so much suffering by their hands.

In a moment of self-pity and regret she asked whether Taylor was a key element responsible for killing other iterations of Scion in the multiverse.

The response was a positive. A twisted grin, Contessa walked outside to the balcony of her small apartment. She took with her a glass of wine she had poured herself earlier from the kitchen.

Contessa looked at the beach outside from her apartment on the fifth floor and she took a sip of her wine. She stared at the sunset and contemplated ending her life then and there. At the last moment she received a call." Contessa here's what the situation…" A strong determined voice answered her; it was Director Costa-Brown. "We still have not been able to pinpoint the location of the thinker interference; have you found anything Contessa?"

Contessa took a moment before she drank the rest of her wine in one sitting. "I believe I may have found something…" A dark and determined look in her eyes could be seen. "A new path has been opened to us; one that if we take advantage of can change the entire game… I'll see you in a few hours… " She hung up before Rebecca could respond and went back to her bed and pulled out her laptop.

She pulled up her numbers and began to call several people in Brockton Bay. In a few hours after the calls were made and various people began to train their eyes for anything suspicious. Contessa continued to build a web of surveillance; she couldn't afford to let something jeopardize the future. Taylor Herbert would have to be watched for better or worse she would ultimately be the key element to saving this world.

At Carl's Ice Cream

Taylor continued to tap her fingers against the window as she and her mother waited for the ice cream to arrive. She had buttoned her coat and took off her mask; the story, if anyone asked her about her lab coat, was that she was in a school play. A few moments later, a bored looking Red-haired waitress finally walked in with their order. She seemed to search for a moment before she finally found Anne. As she moved into the booth she noticed a small child in a lab coat.

She slumped in an unladylike fashion before she groaned to herself."Is your daughter seriously going to a school play or something?" Anne nodded with a small smile, but it changed it a frown when Anne noticed something in eyes."Is something the matter?" the waitress had asked with a posed look of concern. Anne hesitated before she finally answered. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine… Taylor, I just remembered something about the meeting; we'll be taking our ice cream to go. I just remembered that she told us to meet her at the house at 6:00; I forgot to account for daylight savings."

"Are you sure?" Taylor replied with worry in her voice. Anne shakily nodded her head unaware that the waitress had already left. "One hot fudge sundae with a cherry for myself and One vanilla with Reese Pieces." A few minutes after, both mother and daughter grabbed their ice cream and headed to their car; the drive to Lana's house would be long. As they exited, they waved goodbye to the manager, who waved back to his frequent customers. Neither of them noticed the waitress pulling the phone out of her apron.

"Bellephore is now active; I have confirmation of a tinker suit already been fabricated. I will continue to watch as instructed...my surveillance will not falter. Should I require assistance, I will alert you immediately so that you may eliminate or warn them anomalously of any threat as you requested."

-Signing out Watcher 22-27

At Lana's Home

The drive to Lana's house was long; Taylor always felt odd seeing the large homes in friend Emma's Neighborhood. It was the large modern home in the middle of the one way street. As they parked the car in the driveway, Anne heard the sound of shouting, screaming, and finally a door being slammed shut. Anne cautiously approached the front door; her daughter also followed slowly.

When they headed to the door, the sight that greeted them was a very disparaging one. Lana's eyes were watery and her mascara had smeared against her eyes. Lana seemed reluctant to let them in, but she desperately needed moral support. Lana led them into the living room where they began to talk. It had been a rough week, Lana had been stuck with a lot of work from her new firm.

She had been doing a good job of balancing her time with Emma and her work. In fact, they had intended to go watch a movie together today after work as mother and daughter. With her mother having a meeting with another client soon, Emma thought it would be prudent to pack her purse early. Unfortunately, at that moment, a used needle fell out of her purse the moment Lana walked back into her room.

The initial questioning had been harsh, Lana wanted answers and Emma had been silent for a while. Emma then recited in full detail her current medical condition, she explained how she knew that her body had a number of injuries in the spine and legs. And she had been losing both mobility and sensation despite her recent stronger recovery ." I know how to fix it, mom… I'm a Bio Tinker!"

That revelation had caught Lana off guard. She thought that their relationship had been improving. Why hadn't Emma told her what was going on? After the accident with Alan, Emma wanted nothing to do with her father. Lana finally managed to get conditional custody after Emma confessed that her Father's actions may have resulted in her harm. Further investigation would reveal numerous illegal actions had been taken by Alan Barnes. Shortly thereafter, Lana was granted full custody.

The first few days together as a real family had been straining for both of them; her efforts to communicate with her daughter did not go well. Granted, her continued efforts to be part of Emma's life dispelled some of that anger, but it had not extinguished all of it. Because of Lana's initial abandonment, there was now a seed of mistrust. A discordance that kept them from having a real relationship as mother and daughter.

This mistrust had lead Emma to keep her abilities a secret from her mother. In a moment of bitterness and because of the suspicion Emma had shown her, Lana sent her daughter to her room, ignoring any explanation or excuses. Emma miserably walked towards her room and, as she about to close the door, Lana saw it in her eyes...resentment, disappointment, and sadness.

It tore at her heart to see that look in her daughter's eyes. It also reminded her of the look Emma gave her father before they took him to Jail. in another moment, Emma slammed the door shut, leaving Lana by herself in the living room. Five minutes later she heard a knock on the door. She opened the door to see her best friend from college and her student who was obviously a midget or someone who was dressed as a cape. It took about five seconds for her slightly inebriated depressed brain to recognize Taylor.

A long suffering sigh escaped her. "Are you kidding me, Anne? Taylor gained Parahuman abilities?"… Neither of them heard the grumbling or the few twitches that Lana subtly controlled. The sound of Lana's palm smacking her face could be heard. "Next time, Anne, just tell me, alright; don't dance around the subject!" She continued to rant on the inside, getting an odd look from them. After a few more minutes words slowly started to leave Lana's lips. "…..Seriously?"

Present Time

Taylor was speechless at the explanation of her best-friend's mother; she stepped forward, her eyes meeting Lana's. For a brief moment, Lana couldn't help but be comforted by the warm presence Taylor had given off. Unknowingly, Anne had seen something in Taylor's eyes beyond the warm and sunny disposition, there was a great force and will of desperation and determination. "I'll talk to Emma." Without seeing the replied nod from Anne, she walked to Emma's room.

As she walked up the stairs, she stopped at the crossroad before taking the path to the left. Taylor started to knock on the door. "Get the hell away! I don't want to to talk you Mom…." A look of disappointment ran through Taylor's face as she recalled the last moments between her mother and father. The argument they had at the restaurants. Granted, her situation is different… 'We never really appreciate the people in our lives until they are gone. Emma can't stay mad at her mother forever it will break her if she does.' "Hey, Emmy… Can we talk?"

The door slowly creakily opened to reveal a crying red head. Taylor walked into her friend's room, noticing the numerous scholastic awards. At the center of the room, stood her best-friend. Emma Barnes. "Hey, Emmy, how bad was the argument?" Emma blushed at the nickname and furiously tried to dry the tears that continued to form around her eyes. "…It's not her fault, Tay. She's been there for me as much as she could be...given the situation with Alan." Emma's face turned red with rage as she thought of the last days she had spent with her father.

"Because of his mistakes, I nearly lost my legs! And Mom did not help, either, by not telling me about the other complications!"Taylor's eyes widened at that word. "Some broken glass had gotten into my into my spine, they took them out and did the best they could. But the damage was done and although my legs would heal I was going to lose ability to walk due to the degeneration of my spine…"

"I know she just wanted to protect me, but it was my body; I had a right to know if I didn't have my powers I would be in a wheelchair...or worse!"

Emma grabbed one of her trophies and, with amazing accuracy, threw her 'Perfect Attendance' award trophy at her window, breaking it. Taylor could feel the hate emanating from her friend. She could sympathize with her on the level that they both lost their parents and they both had their world's changed irrevocably."Do you want to talk about it?" Taylor asked in a whisper.

Emma acted as she was struck before she slowly nodded. It was slow for Emma; like her mother, she also had an extreme difficulty sharing with even the closest of friends. The most painful part was the betrayal she felt from her father; it was an inconceivable notion for her that she was anything less than the most important thing in her Father's life. So it was a massive blow to her psyche when it was her father's greed, selfishness, and irresponsibility that almost cost her her ability to ever walk again.

In that moment of crushing despair, in that event as well as the weeks that would follow, she would gain humility, appreciation, and a jaded heart. Emma had also gained something else in the weeks spent in the hospital during rehabilitation...her new bio Tinker abilities and medical expertise made itself known. In a single glance, Emma could diagnosis various forms of cancer and illnesses. She also had the ability to see through any organic or inorganic material of respectable density.

For a while, Emma had been excited about her powers; she couldn't wait to tell her mother about her new abilities. It had been just a few seconds that separated Emma from telling her mother when she heard them arguing. Emma had no clue as to the cause of the disagreement between her physician and her mother but she could see the coldness in her mother's eyes. The silent rage and wrath that Lana had been famous for in court, the rage that she had kept in check for so many years...had re-emerged that night.

In that moment Emma saw in her mother old traits that had long since been forgotten, replaced by the warmth and kindness of the present. Fear gripped her heart in that moment and, because of her father's actions, she lost the ability to trust. "I can't imagine what it's like to be betrayed on that level, Emmy, but you can't let it ruin the rest of your life." Taylor hugged Emma as they both sat on the bed." When I lost my father I was devastated… For a while I was so angry at him for dying.." Emma looked taken aback by what Taylor had said.

"I've seen my mother, she is a warm and caring person, Emmy, but she's still hurting every single day because he chose to be a hero and pull those kids out of that burning bus." Guilt gripped her heart as Taylor continued to speak the truth. "I didn't want him to be a hero; I wanted a father to walk me to my wedding, to be there at my graduation. to bug me about how my first day of work went. I wanted him to be there at all the important events in my life and Dad will never be there because he chose to save those kids and died."

Taylor desperately tried to dry the tears from her eyes before she received a comforting shoulder hug from Emma. "I didn't stay mad at him forever. A few weeks later, we started to receive a few visits from the families of the kids my dad rescued." A proud look adorned Taylor's face. "My situation isn't like yours, Tay; my dad wasn't the most selfless person." Taylor gave her a reluctant nod before continuing. "I know, Emmy, but you can't let your life be dictated by hate. If you do, it will poison everything you love, dulling the joyous experiences life is capable of."

Emma gave an barbaric snort before she gave a begrudging nod. " I hate it when you make sense and in such a flowery vocabulary." Taylor let an uncharacteristic giggle frightening Emma. "Under no circumstances are you to ever become one of those blond airheads with more silicon than brains or you're dead to me." Emma said in her usual snark tone. Taylor eye's widened at that particular adult information before she received an irritated explanation from Emma. "My Father would bring over blond floozies sometimes after he drank too much."

Taylor shivered at the thought. "Still, you're right, Tay; I can't let my father's mistakes rule the rest of my life. I'm going to confront him soon; I can't hide from my past if I expect myself to grow and move forward into the future." Emma started to walk to her living room and Taylor followed her quietly. There was a sudden silence when Emma arrived; her eyes meeting her mothers with difficulty.

"Hey, Mom….I'm-m…sorry about what I said. After what happened with Dad, it's just been so hard for me to trust anymore." Tears continued to pour from Emma's eyes; she was caught by surprise to receive a hug from her mother.

"I know… It's been a very difficult situation Alan and I have placed you in, and when I tried to take you out of the situation he refused. Because of that, I will always feel guilty that I was not able to remove you from a dangerous situation. As parents. our job and obligations are to nurture, guide, and above all protect you...and I failed you at one of the most important parts." The guilt in her eyes was evident but it began to fade a little as she noticed Emma's embrace tightened.

"I don't blame you, Mom, and I don't hate you. You came back and you were there as much as you could be. And, unlike him, you showed you cared about what happened to me; you asked me how I was or what I was doing." It was difficult for Emma to continue, but Taylor noticed and gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder, emboldening her.

"Some days I would find Dad drunk with a number of women on the couch, and he would pull himself together for a week. Although, the next time he would be just drunk as the last time I saw him. In the months before the incident, he kept on disappearing for hours all the way into the night; I had to learn how to order out on my own because of that." Lana was disgusted by the negligence her ex-husband had shown to his own daughter.

"Why did you want her, Alan, if you obviously couldn't take care of her right? Was it to spite me for leaving you?" Lana pushed her dark thoughts aside and placed her attention on her main priority: her daughter.

"When you were arguing with that doctor and I asked you what was the matter, you lied to me, you told me there was nothing wrong with me. I kept with the rehab-program, but my legs were not the only issue were they?" Pain was in her mother's eyes. "It was excruciating for me everyday, you had done everything the doctors had told you and you had gone from being in a wheel-chair to being in crutches. And when the doctor told me that your spinal tissue was slowly degenerating due to micro-glass...it just broke me." Rage ran through Lana's eyes. "Just the other day, you had been so happy to take your first shaky step with crutches. I couldn't take that hope away from you. I planned on finding a bio-Tinker or bio-kinetic as soon as I could."

"We're not as wealthy as we used to be; after Alan's actions, I lost some credibility in my clients eyes. Still, I had a favor from a doctor I defended a while back' I got him out of a bad situation."Lana pulled out a red folder, handing it to Emma who opened it quickly. "This is… You were going to get me an ADAM treatment?! Aren't those extremely expensive?!"

Lana took a step closer to her daughter before embracing in tight warm hug. Emma looked up and saw a genuine smile on her face.

"I'm going to promise you two things...One, it will never be like that again' I'll be here everyday same time as always. And Two, I will never lie or keep anything from you ever." They were simple promises, but it was a promise made by her mother and it moved Emma's jaded heart. Both mother and daughter blushed as one when the remembered they were not alone. They took a few moments to collect themselves before Lana would talk business.

Half an hour later…

"So in other words we have to push hard so that they'll respect us enough to do proper business, but not too hard that they'll back off." Lana gave a pleased nod to Taylor. "Yes, exactly! Most representatives that sign on tinkers are not there to negotiate but rather to rein in rogues or to acquire an asset for the Tinker-Box. They won't take either of us seriously unless we show our technology has merit and we demonstrate competence in the worth of our technology."

"It's going to be a difficult case getting them to agree to our terms but we have to make sure to take advantage of this as much as possible. The more money they have, the faster the research will go." Anne nodded in agreement remembering her old college professor and how he was always saying how unappreciative the students were of the new expensive equipment.

Taylor sipped her hot chocolate in thought alongside Emma, who was drinking her own hot chocolate. The discussion immediately became lost on them as Anne and Lana began to discuss various legal terms and issues that would come up in negotiations. Together as one they decided to head to Emma's room. "So wanna watch a movie or play some video games? I just downloaded a new arcade game to my PS3 called " Bubble Wrath."

"Neither, really kind of burnt out on games ever since that last game turned out horrible." Taylor replied, in a exasperated tone. "I know what you mean; it sucks when you hear people build up a game and then they completely fail at delivering." The young brunette nodded in full agreement. "So, do you wan watch a movie?" Taylor nodded halfheartedly. "Sure, what do you want to watch?"

"How about an Earth Alpha Movie? Clash of the Titans with Sam Worthington sound good?" A curious look flickered in Taylor's eye. "What's the movie about?" Emma had a vulpine grin. "Greek Gods, Monsters, and Men." Taylor shared an excited grin with Emma. "Alright then, you put the movie on and I'll get the popcorn started?" Emma nodded a positive and started to look for where she put the case for the movie.

When Emma finally found it, Taylor had come back with a large, full, bag of popcorn. Taylor place the bag down on the floor before grabbing one of Emma's pillows. They both sat down Indian-style and, as the movie began, Taylor opened the bag. Emma would continue to take a few moments to explain the background of the story as the film went on.

"So this guy is the son of Zeus, a Greek God, and he wants revenge on his uncle for killing his foster family." Taylor asked with a confused look. "Yep." Emma answered without even looking at Taylor. "Slice!" Now Taylor was becoming intrigued with the movie " Fine, I guess it's kind of co- Did he just cut the head off some snake woman?" Emma gave an excited nod. "Okay, that was definitely awesome…"

"Seriously, Emma, although this movie is awesome, you better not turn into one of those fan-girls obsessed with guys." Emma took a few minutes to glare at Taylor, as if asking her if she was actually being serious. Two minutes later Emma's eyes were glued back on on the screen. Taylor rolled her eyes before she turned back to watch the awesome movie.

"I wonder if we could create something like Medusa's head?" Taylor questioned out-loud to herself. "Maybe, we can talk Mad Tinker science later… Hey, Taylor, can you pass me the popcorn?" Taylor handed the bag to Emma who began to noisily feast on the crunchy goodness. "How long is this movie anyway?" "About an hour and thirty minutes." Emma quickly responded.

"Whoa! Did he just turn an Endbringer to stone?!"Emma had a smug grin on her face before she slowly nodded her head. "Alright, I have to admit...that was completely epic." As the film came to close the "Perseus" the son of Zeus was offered Godhood. After seeing the numerous negative traits such as detachment, pettiness, and negligence in the Gods, Perseus chose to live as a Mortal.

"So what's the score for this film?" Emma asked with a knowing grin. "I'll give it an seven out of te—" Taylor was cut off by a weak kick to her shin when she looked next to her; she saw a small smile on Emma's face. "Okay, fine...I'll give it an eight out of ten." She received a full-blown grin for her efforts. " Thank you very much!" They both started at each other with a grin before erupting into laughter.

"Knock-Knock." They both turned their heads to see Anne coming through the door. "Come on, Taylor, it's time to go." Taylor pulled out her I-phone to check the time; she found it was 10:00. "Whoa! It's that late; guess we'll talk later. See you later, Emma." Taylor and Emma gave a farewell high-five before heading out the door.

Five minutes later, the house was a lot quieter and Emma and her mother were alone. "So, Emma, would you like to watch a movie with your mother?" Emma was caught off guard but brightened when she saw a kind smile on her mother's face. "Sure, but don't I have school tomorrow?" Lana waved it off with an infectious grin. "You can stay home tomorrow; besides its Friday anyway and after that contract with the PRT is over, with we can just relax, you and me, for the rest of the day."

"Sure Mom." As they both headed up to bed a question lingered in Lana's mind. "Emma, what was it you were injecting yourself with and how did you get it?" A blush and a look of guilt was briefly seen on Emma's face. "ADAM, and as for how I got it, I may have hacked the shipping/delivery for the hospitals; it was only a small amount and they still had massive reserves."

"We'll talk about it more tomorrow; do not pull a stunt like that again, am I clear?" Lana asked with a stern tone. "Yes, Mom, I understand." A small smile broke out on Lana's face. "Good, because I'm going to trust you not to try something like this again. Good night, Emma." One by one the lights in the Barnes began blink out slowly, signaling the beginning of a very pleasant sleep for both of them.

Contract Day

"I don't believe you truly understand the implications of my client's research; we are talking about limitless energy." Lana pulled a packet of letters from her piano folder. The letters were from several universities who had each been given a small piece of the Promethium formula. Each of them said that the information was sound. Lana handed the letters to The PRT's lawyer, who began to pour over the information in mild interest.

"I see...not that many people bring letters validating their theory, which is why I' m offering ten-percent more for both of them as an Associate." The Lawyer looked as though it pained her to add that value. "Raise it by twenty five percent and this conversation continues, otherwise we walk away." The lawyer looked taken aback before she reluctantly nodded. "Very well, I suppose that settles the financial question, but there are other matters that we need to discuss, Lana."

"I'm concerned about giving the level of resources to an associate and, while I have the authority to make deals on their behalf, they may cause issues later on. " Lana's eyes began to narrow as the Lawyer continued to speak. "So what are you suggesting." "What I'm suggesting is that one or two representatives from the PRT should be sent to watch their progress, possibly to reign in their experiments from becoming more dangerous."

"I suppose so, if only to remove any apprehensions from the PRT." Internally Lana was relieved that both Taylor and Lana would be able to have some supervision in their lab. " Alright then, it's settled." the PRT lawyer began to pull out a few contracts and began to edit them to Lana's specifications. She then passed them to Lana who looked them over with a critical eye before signing them. "Thank you very much, Miss Barnes." Lana nodded before she walked out the door heading with Anne, Taylor, and Emma.

As the door shut, the PRT representative received a phone call. "Yes, I did as you asked; I gave them what they wanted. Quite frankly, I think I probably would have caved-in to her even if you had not asked. Very well. Yes, I do believe I'll be interested in further business." The Representative headed out the door humming a small tune.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Jennifer; your assistance in this matter will be noted." Rebecca Costa hung up the phone, placing it on the desk. She reactivated her computer, opening up a file...

Name: Herbert, Taylor

Alias: Professor Utonium

Age: 12

Eyes: Brown

Weight: 95 lbs.

Height: 4' 8"

After initial testing, we've come to the conclusion that Taylor Herbert is an extraordinary Tinker. Several of her designs, while unorthodox, are extremely effective. Unlike other tinkers, she doesn't seem to have a particular technical specialty. One of her technical fields deals with mind transference and manipulation. For this reason, as well as others, we've decided to classify her as a Level 9 Tinker with some Thinker abilities. Currently this Parahuman is under unofficial surveillance under orders from Director Costa-Brown

Classification:

Level 9 Tinker: Subject specializes in technology involving Biochemistry, Robotics, Holograms and Psionic.

Level 4 Thinker: Subject possesses the superhuman ability to learn at a speed far above the human norm.

"So this is the key to ending this war… Not physically impressive, but her mind will more than make up for it." Rebecca turned off her computer and left, taking her coffee with her. She headed to her car, finding, like always, it was waiting for her at the front of building. The door swung open when the vehicle's powerful sensors registered her DNA. "Take me home." The car began to drive at a steady pace heading to Rebecca's condo.

After the Endbringers departure….(Earth Beta Timeline)

When the Endbringers were eventually moved off-world, large scale research into the multiverse began in an effort to create Economic growth. Inter-dimensional trading began; although the start was slow, it had allowed both the world economy and the numerous nations on Earth Beta to recover quicker. With the expansion of inter-dimensional trading, came the discovery and trading with two new populated worlds besides Earth Alpha.

Earth Alpha:

Although this World is relatively unremarkable, it has so far created a space-program and has recently broken new ground in Space-Travel. One Technology that Earth Alpha has that Earth Beta did not possesse previously ...is touch screen technology. The most exported technology from Earth Alpha is the I-phone; a creation of a man called, Steve Job. These I-phones are a personal favorite of Tinkers, who love to customize and adapt them to their usage. However, the biggest exports coming from Earth Alpha is culture and media, such as movies, music, and books.

This has resulted in a massive amount of profits for both Earth Beta and Earth Alpa due to Import Taxes and New Audiences.

Classified:

After much examination, we can find nothing un-remarkable about Earth Alpha…

Earth Gamma:

This world was originally said to have technology that exceeded most mainstream technology created by Earth Beta. Unfortunately, or fortunately, we arrived after nuclear war. As for why it was fortunate, that is, unfortunately, classified. This, of course, should have resulted in loss of all technology, but surprisingly vast caches of information, technology, weaponry remain intact on Earth Gamma.

The inhabitants of Earth Gamma are surprisingly diverse due to exposure to numerous mutagenic chemicals. (SUPER MUTANTS: CLASSIFIED). Among the inhabitants of Earth Gamma, are several individuals who have been exposed to a life-threatening amount of radiation and survived. Surprisingly, this is due to a number of factors; one of which Earth Beta inhabitants appear to have naturally more robust genetics. In addition, after much examination, we have come to the conclusion that, due the large usage of radioactive materials in their technology, Advances in medicine, and vaccines meant to cure or neutralize radiation damage, this has changed humanity into a more resilient specie.

Thankfully, we do not have to plunder the radioactive wastelands for the technology; we have recently met with a local leader called, the Wander. This incredibly intelligent individual came into possession of numerous blue-prints to his Earth's technology and weapons; when asked about were he obtained classified military information, he cheekily stated the Lighthouse. Since then, he has organized the members of fellow survivors from his home, called The Wasteland, and has, on their, behalf begun negotiations for food and supplies and shelter. This is of course created a difficult situation due to the numerous medical advancements, technology, and weaponry, they have made Earth Beta very interested in trading in exchange for technology. Unfortunately, due the influx of Gamma Humans wanting to immigrate, and a desire from world leaders to maintain a monopoly on Inter-dimensional Trading it has made tensions high. As a result, trading remains slow, although the situation in Washington, D.C., Earth Gamma A.K.A. The Capital Wasteland, has been improved due to numerous charity donations. Unfortunately, due to the lack of a True Government at the moment and sporadic meeting times, we do not have any further data on Earth Gamma.

Classified:

Analysis of Earth Gamma Humans:

Most non-mutated humans come from what are known as Vaults. Before the nuclear war began, multiple corporations ran America. One of the biggest companies, called Vault-Tec, is responsible for most of the survivors in America. Unfortunately, it seems, through either corruption or insanity, a number of these Vault's have been used to run psychological, chemical, and bio-weaponry testing on the surviving human population within these Vaults.

Currently, many humans from Earth Gamma have been seeking to immigrate to Earth Beta despite the stories of Endbringers and Parahumans. When we asked a local scientist why they want to move to Earth Beta, he said this, "On Earth Gamma there's a definite chance of that you'll die from radiation poisoning, starvation, or being stabbed by your wife. On Earth Beta only one of those things is likely to happen."

SUPER MUTANTS:

During the years before the nuclear war, The American Government of Earth Gamma began to conduct numerous illegal experiments in an attempt accelerate evolution. These attempts, eventually, resulted in what we now know as Super-Mutants. Seven to eight feet tall, these green, muscular Goliaths excel at killing. Additionally, it appears that SUPER MUTANTS not only lack intellect, but they also lack reproductive organs.

WEAPONS:

One of the most important trading items we have made with Earth Gamma is, of course, Weapons. From Kinetic, Laser, and Plasma...Earth Gamma's Weapons easily outclass most normal weapons and few tinker ones. Currently, Earth Beta and Gamma have a negotiated a contract to help them rebuild the Capital Wasteland in exchange for weapons. Earth Beta does this by sending food, medicine, and building supplies.

The Wanderer:

A Mysterious individual who originates from Vault Serial number 101. Not much is known about this man, but his father is responsible for the current filter purifying the irradiated waters. Recently, one of our Ambassadors met the current leader of Vault 101, which is still operational. In a conversation, she mentioned that in an IQ test The Wander showed the highest intelligence scores since after the war. The Wander is currently located in the D.C. Capitol Hill, after it was rebuilt as a new seat of a democracy. Currently, this individual plays a major role as a both a Politician and Local Hero and, as such, we will be watching him very closely.

The Brotherhood of Steel:

Currently this group can be considered the most educated on the planet that we are aware of. After the nuclear arsenals were launched, what remained of the American army, organized itself into a search and recovery group. In short, their job was to make sure that humanity's scientific progress was not lost. Currently, this group has very close ties to The Wander, due to both his contribution to the water purifier and his Father's. Another reason this group is very fiercely loyal to the Wander is the archives in his possession. In one recent conversation we had with them, they confirmed that The Wander came across the archives near a lighthouse close to an army base. When we asked if they had any doubts about leaving too much power in the hands of one man, this is what One Scribe said, "I've seen plenty of would-be dictators, the greed in their eyes always disgusted me; he's not like that all. He's like the rest of us in this dark world, but unlike the rest of us, he still believes in a better tomorrow."

Earth Delta:

This World is reminiscent of 1942 Earth, computer-wise, but has made recent advancements in Biological weaponry. The sentient inhabitants of this world appear human but differ in bio-luminescent eyes. It appears that, during the Second World War, a business owner, named Andrew Ryan, was dissatisfied with America's sudden shift in policy regarding government oversight and control. This lead him to found his own city, called Rapture, on the Atlantic Ocean's floor. Soon after, he invited the world's geniuses, artists, and business men to come to the city with no oversight.

Within decades, and because of no regulations, Rapture took enormously large leaps in technology. But disaster quickly followed after a substance called ADAM was introduced to the market. This drug called ADAM is a highly potent and addictive substance that allows humans to change their DNA to enhance their bodies or give themselves a variety of superhuman abilities. Shortly after, due to ADAM shortages, horrendous actions were taken to satisfy the cravings of Rapture's population. (Little Sisters: Classified)

Shortly after this crisis was solved, nuclear war began, resulting in massive loss of life. The survivors of America would later be approached by the cured people of Rapture, who would help them rebuild.

After years of research, the original creator of ADAM found a cure and administered it to the population of Rapture. Shortly after, Rapture's citizens left to America, where they found numerous cities devastated by nuclear war; Rapture's brightest minds would aid in the rebuilding. Unfortunately, after the third generation was born, the cure was proven to be 'flawed'...for lack of a better term. Inactive genes from ADAM addiction still lingered and, after three generations, numerous male and female children were born with glowing eyes.

During a brief examination by Dr. Tenebaum, she discovered, to her amazement and our's, that the children now carried a new organ that is producing ADAM. Another examination on the cellular level revealed small fragments of ADAM Slugs' DNA within their cells. Thankfully, no large scale changes or abilities beyond what is similar in LITTLE SISTER is present. Due to the nature of this change, no attempts are made to immediately correct this due to the fact that not that many people understand ADAM completely. Shortly after, Tenebaum completed her first Analysis of the new generation, she died, severely slowing the research.

Soon after the new generation reached puberty, they all began to develop abilities and enhancements. A new war soon broken out as some parents, who barely tolerated their altered children, began to abuse them. Sadly, it was a futile fight as many of the children were frightened, or reluctant, to fight their parents. However, due to their desire to survive, combined with their abilities, in addition to the fact that modern weapons were virtually non-existent, this resulted in a relatively quick end.

This generation was unfortunate, for the most part, left to fend on its own with the exceptions being the few who still had loving parents. As a result, Technological advancement was put on hold for the next few decades in favor of technological recovery. Earth Beta made contact two centuries after the conflict. Trading between the two remains scarce although the major export from Earth Delta is ADAM, although numerous regulations have been passed to prevent the sale of plasmids. This is due to concerns on both sides; the biologically arming a human would be unethical, although, any concerns about Addiction are invalid. (See PERFECTED ADAM.)

Classified:

Analysis Of Earth Delta Humans:

The Humans of this world world range from 5-6ft, male and female, with grey skin and glowing yellow eyes that turn red when enraged. The Average Human from Earth Delta can easily compete in the Olympics due to their unnatural strength and agility. Their natural demeanor is more cheerful than Earth Beta Humans we suspect this is possible due the tamparage on their ancestors...the LITTLE SISTERS. On occasion, once every month, a Earth Delta human will regurgitate Raw Unprocessed ADAM. This is due to the fact that the organ located near the stomach begins to over-cycle, producing a ridiculous amount of ADAM. The Average lifespan of a human from Earth Beta is unknown, but, an examination on the cellular level has revealed no damage or shortening of the telomeres have taken place.

The first encounter between Earth Beta and Delta was filled with fascination on both sides. This fascination only increased when one of Ambassadors casually demonstrated Telekinesis. Likewise, the people of Delta were fascinated with proof of the existence of a multiverse. Earth Beta's strongest Exports to Delta are seeds, rare minerals, and genetic samples of flora. The reason for this is because, currently, Earth Delta is undergoing massive reconstruction of their Environment.

Currently, Earth Delta is in good relations with Earth Beta. Although, there is some tension due to Delta's reluctance to sell any form or quantity of ADAM, their relationship remains strong and hopeful; with some time, tensions and reluctance from Delta will drop.

LITTLE SISTERS/BIG SISTER:

The originators of the current version of Humans on Earth Delta. Three generations after their descendants would be born with their abilities and powers. In their younger years, each of these children were implanted with the sea slug responsible for producing ADAM in order to meet rising demands for ADAM. Sadly, demands continued to rise and the little sisters were soon tasked to recycle the used ADAM from the corpses of the dead; this decision made the ADAM in rapture even more unstable and users began to suffer memory leakage from the previous users.

When the Civil War Between Ryan and And Fontaine, AKA Atlas, was over, many bio-weapons such as plasmids and enhancements remained in the ADAM the girls processed. As they reached adulthood, theses plasmids began to activate. Unable to continue their tasks the BIG SISTERS found themselves re-tasked to lethal ADAM reclamation. Currently, this world's version of humanity, the BIG SISTERS, with their grey skin and glowing eyes as well as their plethora of superhuman abilities.

ADAM:

In its first state, ADAM originates from a family of sea-slugs that originate from the Atlantic Ocean in Earth Delta. This substance in its raw, processed form lingers in the user for many decades even after the user's death. Even more unnerving, is the fact that ADAM begins to behave very oddly once a prepubescent user begins to reach puberty. One case in Rapture's historical archives, was about an 9 year old boy who managed to ingest a massive amount of ADAM. When the owner of the ADAM found out, he was furious and tried to drown the boy in the fishery.

Surprisingly, the boy managed to survive by growing gills and was promptly shot afterwards. Nevertheless, this incident astounded the coroner who came to the conclusion that, in it's processed form, ADAM will adapt it's user even when it has not been tailored.

PERFECTED ADAM:

After Dr. Tenebaum's initial discovery of ADAM, she eventually took her initial reports to Frank Fontaine. Impressed, Fontaine funded her research, but when she informed that the substance was unstable and addictive, he ordered her to leave it that way so customers would have to keep buying. A few years after her death, the second generation of new humans began to study ADAM in it's raw state due to concerns about the raw ADAM being created in their own bodies mutating or evolving them further. While looking at Dr. Tenebaum's old research, they stumbled onto a complete formula for stabilizing ADAM. This information, while interesting, was not what they were searching for. Although, this information would come in handy decades later for trading with Earth Beta.

PERFECTED ADAM is the only type of ADAM to leave Earth Delta due to the fact that it is stable and can only be tailored for a singular use upon which it leaves no trace. In the few years it's been on the market, multiple cases of genetic disorders such as brittle bones, asthma, and even a total lack of an immune system have all been cured. In fact, on Earth Beta, this substance is the most highly sought after substance by many medical practitioners due to its amazing healing properties.

Earth Beta after Contact with all these Earths:

Currently both the Economy and the planet are in high speed recovery due to overall improvement in technology. This advancement in technology has also improved Inter-Dimensional Travel to the point that has become much more efficient. Medicine is now becoming much simpler due to the ease with which ADAM can be manipulated. A number of in-curable diseases are now curable or preventable. Another thing to note, is that many scientists from Delta and Gamma have decided to move to find a quite neighborhood.

Sneak Peek at next chapter:

"What in Heaven's name are you talking about Contessa she's right there?" Alexandria replied pointing angrily at the gray woman lying on the table. Contessa continued to shake her head in disappointment then a second Alexandria began to grasp what she meant. "Eden is a massive organism. Alexandria, an AI, would be likely to keep backups designed to activate if certain protocols failed. I doubt that a life-form even more complex than an AI would not have a backup of her mind hidden in at least one of her shards."

"But which shard could po-…. You already know don't you?" Contessa calmly nodded before she motioned Alexandria to sit down in the chair. "Years ago we thought our friend and colleague was murdered by an unknown cape… It's always puzzled me how the wounds could have come from the inside of David's skull. Now, we know his agent is loose somewhere in a new host, but that's not the most frightening issue; I believe that Eden's backup is inside David's shard."

"That can't be possible can it?!" Doctor Mother exclaimed in terror, her eyes glued to the gray woman. "I believe that it's possible but I have some doubts; why hasn't the copy attempted to contact Scion?" Number-man questioned rubbing his chin in thought. "I believe it's because of two reasons: one, this copy of Eden's mind may be imperfect so it's psyche is unstable or illogical possibly both. Two, I believe that Scion probably does not recognize this copy as his mate." Contessa's hand stretched toward the middle of the table before she dropped something on the table.

All eyes watched as the device began to play a video that had them mystified for years. The day before they had gone dormant, the EndBringers had attacked Scion all at once. There was a small, star-like object that was floating above the three End-Bringers. It immediately began to glow red before a massive blast enveloped all five beings. When it was over, Scion was petrified into a stone-like state. As for the EndBringers they were petrified as well, the starlike object that had been commanding them had vanished. No one said a word but they now understood what had just happened: the First Entity had returned one way or another.

"I've found more evidence in favor of this. In fact, I believe I've found the person with David's shard; take a look at this file." She began to touch the projection and the image reverted to her home screen. "Here it is..." The room was filled with silence as they watched the scene play out. "That's definitely David's Matter Annihilation ability." Alexandria groaned out as she began to rub her forehead; things had definitely become far more complicated.


End file.
